Player of the Week
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
Walker (pictured) was tremendous for the Buffaloes this week and thus far this season. He’s tied for the second most rebounds per game in the Pac-12 this season and has been putting up an efficient 15 points per game. Jabari Walker is the son of former top 10 NBA draft pick Samaki Walker. He has managed to record a double double in Colorado’s last four games, most recently dropping 22 points and 11 rebounds against a tough UCLA squad, where the Buffaloes put up a respectable fight but ultimately lost. His team is 4-1 when he puts up a double double and will look to continue his consistency into the coming weeks.
Who’s Hot
Isaiah Mobley (USC)
While his brother leads the NBA in the rookie of the year race, Mobley has found a way to make his impact felt on both ends of the floor for USC. In the Trojans most recent win against conference opponent Utah, Mobley had an impressive 21 point, 13 rebound performance. In addition to this, the game prior he dropped an 18 point, 12 rebound game which resulted in another win for the undefeated Trojans. As he leads all of the Pac-12 in rebounds per game, staying healthy will be key for this 6’10” junior.
Will Richardson (Oregon)
With the Ducks looking to get back on track after a tough start to the season, Richardson in their past two games has been a bright spot for the squad. In a dominant win against Montana, he dropped 18 points in 22 minutes of play. He followed up this performance with a 17 point, 5 assist game against UC Riverside. Oregon will need him to step up if they want to salvage their season.
Who’s Not
Jarod Lucas (Oregon State)
After a solid year last year for the Beavers, the regression that Lucas has shown is pretty surprising. Not only has his field goal percentage gone down a tad, his percentage from deep has also gone down by a near 4%. In Oregon State’s most recent game against the California Golden Bears, a team who isn’t very great, Lucas only scored 2 points along with no rebounds or assists in 23 minutes of play. He’ll have to get it together if the Beavers will want to improve upon their 1-7 record.
Arizona State
The Sun Devils have now dropped their last 5 games after starting off 2-1. They now sit at 2-6 and the outlook for the rest of the season doesn’t look too bright. In their most recent loss to Washington State, they managed to only put up 29 points with only one player scoring in double figures. Though the expectations for this squad weren’t exceptionally high, nobody expected them to be as inadequate as they have been.
Top 5 Best Arenas in the Pac-12
Alaska Airlines Arena (Washington)
This arena opened to the public in 1927, making it the oldest in the Pac-12. Though it only has a capacity of about 10,000 people, the place could get rowdy if a good enough game is being brought forth. The nostalgic feel and history behind the arena is certainly enough to land a spot on this list.
Matthew Knight Arena (Oregon)
Oregon has always been known for their objects outside of the sport they specifically play, such as the football team’s jerseys. This is no different for the arena that they call home during basketball season. Throughout college basketball, there really isn’t anything like the court floor of the Ducks. The uniqueness mixed in with the face that the Ducks have managed to put on from being good at sports for a long time makes this place certainly a top 5 arena in the Pac-12.
McKale Memorial Center (Arizona)
This place has always been a tough place to play in for opposing squads. Since opening in 1973, the court floor has seen many dominant squads come on the road and lose to the Wildcats. With a capacity of almost 15,000, they seem to sell out more times than not throughout the season. THis alone lands them a spot on this list.
Pauley Pavilion (UCLA)
Regarded by many as one of the best college basketball programs ever, the Bruins have been playing here since 1965. Renovations haven’t been able to take away from the storied past of UCLA and there certainly is a level of intimidation when traveling to the Pauley Pavilion. The classic light blue and yellow compliment the court well and make this arena one of the best in the Pac-12.
Coors Event Center (Colorado)
Though the success and rich history isn’t necessarily there for the Buffaloes home arena, the energy seems to be up a lot of nights out of the year. Couple this with the fact that the current Colorado squad is quite young and exciting for fans of old and new, this arena should certainly fill more seats as time goes on.